Thorny Devil | National Geographic

what are you looking at the surface of
some strange planet the breastplate of
some kind of mutant science fiction
dinosaur no you’re looking at the skin
of one of the most bizarre of
Australia’s many magnificent lizards the
thorny devil we nominate the thorny
devil as the lizard most in need of a
spa treatment we mean the whole program
sea salt scrub mud baths kelp wrap
hydrotherapy
and the world’s longest deepest facial I
mean there’s rough scaly skin and
there’s rough scaly skin as fearsome as
this creature looks just remember that
the thorny devil is only four to six
inches long one of its most fascinating
features is how it consumes water it
maneuvers through dewy landscapes and
arranges for water to fall on itself
this water runs down micro grooves on
its back by working its jaws like this
the thorny devil is actually working
those grooves so the water runs into its
mouth
another thorny devil feature is its
false head when threatened the thorny
devil will hide its real head leaving
this scaly knob exposed that defense
plus the thorns that give it its name
keeps this guy safe to stalk and consume
his one and only foodstuff ants up to
3,000 ants in a single meal wash down
with a healthy gulp of water off its own
backside
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